“Alright, Ms.
Whitmore, it seems you won’t have to wait days to hear the results,” Genevieve said, leaning back in her chair.
My eyes widened, my heart hammering against my ribs as I braced myself, holding my breath and staring straight at her, waiting for the words to leave her mouth.
Before she could speak, a staff member scurried over, leaning down to whisper frantically in her ear.
Genevieve’s relaxed posture stiffened.
Her eyes flicked up to me, a flash of hesitation washing over her face before she cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Ms.
Whitmore, we were very impressed with your audition.
Please do look forward to hearing from us.”
The wide smile on my face faltered, but I forced a polite, graceful bow anyway.
“Thank you,” I murmured, turning on my heel and walking out of the room.
The second the doors swung shut behind me, my calm expression crumbled.
“What was that?!” I hissed under my breath.
“They were clearly about to hand me the deal!
What the hell happened?”
[I did inform you, Host.
Starship Entertainment is a major shareholder of Mireille Beauty, and your father holds substantial leverage in this industry.]
“Ugh!
What am I supposed to do now?”
I turned around to head for the elevators, nearly crashing into Audrey as she strutted down the hallway.
The moment her eyes landed on me, she recoiled, her lip curling into a sneer.
“Ew!
Who even let this thing in here?” She scoffed, crossing her arms and smirking.
“Don’t tell me you actually think you have a shot at this?”
She pushed past me, intentionally slamming her shoulder into mine.
“Because I’m such a generous sister, I’ll give you a little advice.
Back off.
This beauty ad is mine, got it?
You don’t stand a chance—especially with that disgusting face of yours.”
With a sharp huff, she turned on her high heels and marched straight into the audition room.
I stood frozen in the middle of the corridor, my left eye twitching.
“Ah!
She makes my blood boil!
Who does she think she is?
How blind do you have to be to look at this face and call it ugly?”
[Dear Host, please calm down.]
“I’m calm, I’m calm!” I muttered, pacing back and forth.
“But what do we do now?” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
[It is not guaranteed that your sister will be selected.
Perhaps we should hold onto hope?]
“Yeah, right.
I’ve spent enough time in this industry to know when a callback is never coming,” I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder as I headed for the exit.
“It’s time to pull some strings.”
[Strings?]
“I’m married now,” I whispered, a sly grin spreading across my lips.
“And my husband just so happens to have endless money and influence.”
[Host, this task is meant to be accomplished through your own effort]
“The quest prompt didn’t say I couldn’t use my resources,” I countered, pushing through the glass doors.
[Host should have confidence in her audition performance]
“Not happening.
I am going straight back to cry to my rich husband and let him fix it.”
I marched back down to the underground parking lot and slid into the van.
Sarah was still sitting in her seat, her eyes fixed on her tablet.
As the door clicked shut, she looked up, her expression unreadable.
“I am quite impressed, Ms.
Eliana.”
“Sorry?” I blinked.
“I watched your audition live on my screen,” Sarah said, tapping the screen of her tablet.
“You handled yourself remarkably well.”
“Wait…
how?”
A small smile flickered on Sarah’s lips.
“I have my methods.
But more importantly, I have made my decision.
I will be taking you on as my client.”
She extended her hand, holding it steady until I reached out and shook it.
“My team will deliver the official contract to your residence first thing tomorrow morning.”
My eyes lit up, a wide grin breaking across my face.
“Yes!
Thank you so much, Ms.
Winters!”
Sarah gave a single, firm nod.
“Good.
I shall take my leave now.”
“Oh—we can drive you wherever you need to go!” I offered, gesturing toward the front seat.
She raised a hand, stepping out onto the concrete pavement.
“That won’t be necessary.
Enjoy the rest of your day.” She closed the door behind her and walked away.
The driver pulled out of the garage, taking me straight back to the estate.
The rest of the afternoon was pretty much uneventful at least until Damien returned.
The moment Damien’s wheelchair rolled into the grand foyer, I darted across the floor, stopping right beside him.
“How was your day?
Are you tired?
Hungry?
Do you want a shoulder massage?” I asked, reaching down toward his jacket.
Damien caught my wrist mid-air, stopping my hands before they touched his shoulders.
“My day was fine.
What is all this about?”
“What do you mean?” I smiled sweetly, grabbing the handles of his wheelchair to push him further into the house.
“I’m just trying to be a dutiful wife.”
Damien pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a quiet sigh.
“How did your audition go?”
“It was good…” I trailed off, letting my shoulders slump.
“But?”
I left the wheelchair, walking over to the couch and collapsing onto the soft cushions.
“I think the role is going to be handed to my sister.”
“Your sister?
Audrey?” Damien asked, turning his chair toward the living area.
I let out another long sigh.
“Yes.
Apparently her father holds major shares in Mireille Beauty.
He can easily influence the board’s decision.”
Damien lifted a single eyebrow, his gaze locking onto mine.
“Her father?
Isn’t he your father as well?”
My posture froze.
Crap.
What a stupid mistake.
Clearing my throat, I forced a bitter, crestfallen look onto my face, looking down at my lap.
“Well…
he might be my father on paper, but he certainly doesn’t treat me like his daughter.”
Damien watched me in complete silence for a long moment.
Finally, he gave a slow nod.
“I will handle it.”